A Blockchain-based Decentralized Data Sharing Infrastructure for Off-grid Networking

Abstract: Off-grid networks are recently emerging as a solution to connect the unconnected or provide alternative services to networks of possibly untrusted participants. The systems currently used, however, exhibit limitations due to their centralized nature and thus prove inadequate to secure trust. Blockchain technology can be the tool that will enable trust and transparency in such networks. In this paper, we introduce a platform for secure and privacy-respecting decentralized data sharing among untrusted participants in off-grid networks. The proposed architecture realizes this goal via the integration of existing blockchain frameworks (Hyperledger Fabric, Indy, Aries) with an off-grid network device and a distributed file system. We evaluate the proposed platform through experiments and show results for its throughput and latency, which indicate its adequate performance for supporting off-grid decentralized applications.